North Korea on the 29th criticized the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force's annual joint drill with the U.S. Marine Corps, "Resolute Dragon," calling it "the reckless ruckus of a vanquished nation seeking a golden chance for reinvasion."
On this day, the (North) Korean Central News Agency wrote in a commentary, "Resolute Dragon is thoroughly a war drill simulating real combat, and Japan is steadily enhancing its invasion capability through it."
The outlet also said, "Recently, Japan has deepened its military closeness with the United States, worsening the situation in surrounding regions," citing "Iron Fist," a joint exercise with the United States in February.
It also said that in April–May this year, when the Self-Defense Forces first took part in a U.S.-led, multinational military exercise in the Asia-Pacific, "they fired long-range strike assets developed with the goal of preemptive attacks on neighboring countries."
The outlet said, "There is no other purpose behind Japan's deepening military integration with the United States," adding it is "the inner ambition of Japanese militarists to justify a transformation into a war state by seizing on a chaotic international landscape and to step forward as Asia's hegemon."
It continued, "Achieving its aggressive aims by leaning on a big country is a congenital bad habit of Japan," adding, "Japan should remember that serving the world's biggest merchant of war and racing down the path of reinvasion will only lead to a miserable end, and it should not act rashly."
Resolute Dragon, the annual joint drill conducted by the U.S. Marine Corps and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, runs from the 20th to the 30th in Japan's Okinawa and Kyushu regions.